Split (1)

train · 180k rows

text stringlengths 0 41.4k
"You have both proved yourselves worthy of becoming knights, and the Order itself would be honoured to have you among us." He continued, looking over to his liege lord who was smiling once again.
"Any individual who does what is right no matter the potential outcome has the honour and the compassion for a Knight of the White Stallion." With a gesture he encompassed the armoured form of Sir Ramauld and the perfectly made white Surcoat with the Order’s heraldry proudly displayed. "You are some of the greatest warriors to have been known in the Third Era, and your actions this day and the months previous have shown a depth of compassion and humility not expected of simple sellswords or adventurers. I created the order to allow individuals such as yourselves to unite together and in doing so become something greater as a whole."
For several seconds I tried to speak but no words came out as I struggled to think of what to say. The very thought of me, a deserter from the Legion becoming a Knight was unthinkable, impossible and yet here I was standing before a Knight Commander, and a Count offering me something that had I never considered.
"But, our membership with the Fighters-"
Sir Ramauld cut me off with a raised hand, the thick leather gloves covering his hands under the plate gauntlets. "It has already been taken care of. The Count and I have been in contact with Vilena Donton and the other commanders in the Guild and they have given their blessing."
"Has such a thing ever been done before?" Viconia breathed, the nagging sense of pressure in the back of my head fading as she dispelled the swelling magical power she had been summoning.
"Indeed it has." Count Caro was almost laughing now. "While rare, there are at least three members of the Fighters Guild in the Order’s ranks. Sir Ramauld, before he entered my service had been a member of the Companions."
Looking at the hulking Nord in the full heraldic plate I could believe it. In Vvardenfell the Companions from Skyrim were well known and were sometimes considered to be the superiors of the Fighter’s Guilds in Morrowind and Cyrodiil. They were far more honourable at least with their Nordic heritage, if a lot stubborner.
"When the Count sent the word that he was raising a Knightly Order outside of Highrock there was not much interest." Sir Ramauld admitted. "I was the first to come to pledge my sword after the Harbinger at the time gave his blessing.
"So we will have to remain in Leyawiin?"
There was a shake of the head from both men. "No." the Count replied as Sir Ramauld was about to. "The Knights were founded here and the Lodge is here, but I do not expect them to remain here in my lands when their services are called for throughout the Empire."
Sir Ramauld nodded and smiled, his age being shown through the lines marking his face and the scars that crossed them. "At any one time a third of our number are abroad, travelling the lands as Knights-Errant. This is an honour; the greatest of which that we can bestow on worthy individuals. We are not expecting you to swear allegiance from the Fighters Guild or anyone else for that matter. We are unlike the other Knightly Orders who fight for their Counties or Provinces and while we owe a debt to Leyawiin and the Caro lineage we are our own free agents. If you agree to join, neither of you will be expected to do anything more than continue with your deeds. You will however receive the full support of the Order, can call upon support of the Order where required and no matter where you are in the Empire. Obviously you will be expected to return the favour if called upon and if the Order rides to war, you will be expected to fill your place in the ranks."
I was overwhelmed, feeling the weight of the stares of the dozens of nobility and the burning blue gaze from the veteran Knight. The whole situation felt as though it was slipping out of my fingers and all I could do was nod dumbly at a complete loss of words.
Viconia, while just as shocked as what I was had her expression turn into calculating and the grin that creased her face spoke volumes. She was already weighing the benefits and had found them much to her liking. "I accept the offer." She said a second before I nodded.
Sir Ramauld broke out in a grin that was matched by the Count’s. Together they stood before us, Count Caro in front of me, and Sir Ramauld standing in a wall of Nordic muscle and metal by his side.
"Your sword if you please." Said Count Caro, motioning for Sunchild grasped at my side. Very gently I drew it out of its sheath and for a second I struggled to part with the blade, staring into my reflection on its mirrored surface. The Count grasped it confidently and stared into the exquisite forging of the Ayleid blade in wonder, wielding the sword with surprising experience and ability that was at odds with his appearance.
"Kaius Desin and Viconia DeVir." He began, looking both of us in the eyes. "Kneel."
I lowered myself to one knee, my arms resting by my sides as Count Caro lightly pressed Sunchild flat on my right shoulder.
"Be without fear in the face of evil," Sir Ramauld began, his deep baritone voice rumbling out through the hall and I struggled to remain calm with force of the emotions running through my mind. "Be righteous in your pursuit for justice and uphold the tenants of the Nine Divines. Speak the truth, protect the innocent, and serve the Empire."
"This is your oath." Count Caro intoned, tapping Sunchild against one shoulder, then the other before drawing its edge across my face. "May this be the last blow you receive without retaliation."
The razored edge of Sunchild bit deep, and I forced my face into a mask of calm as I felt it cut through my skin and scar my right cheek. Trickling down the side of my face and dripping onto my armour and folded coif and hood my blood stained my face into a visage of pain and determination. Glancing at Sir Ramauld I saw how he briefly nodded in respect, seeing the old scar where he too had sworn the same oath.
"I swear it." I replied, bowing my head and feeling my blood slowly pump from the open wound.
Count Caro handed back Sunchild, the wetness of blood still gleaming on its edge as he turned to Viconia and received Dragonbane to conduct the same ceremony. She too kneeled, and within the depths of her yellowed eyes I could see the calculating nature of her kind in the depths of her soul. For a moment I felt concern at the how the two of us were gaining such an honour through what could be described as deception. Between my cursed form and her very nature as a Drow we were both far from being the upstanding and pure Knights they expected or believed us to be.
"I swear it." She replied at the end of the speech, underlining it with a muttered oath in her native tongue. The cut in her cheek barely even marred her features and seemed to merge with the handful of scars on her face. Appearing as a glistening trail of rubies that left me salivating, the droplets fell to the floor and added to the other bloodstains at the base of the stairs.
"Then arise as Knights!" Count Caro proclaimed to the sudden deafening roars from the crowd of nobles. "Arise as Knights of the White Stallion!"
Sir Desin, and Madame DeVir; even days after receiving our Knighthoods our new titles felt strange and unusual, like new boots or an ill-fitting breastplate. We were no longer just simple adventurers or mercenaries now, we had been elevated in the social circles of the Empire and received with it all of the benefits and disadvantages. Where our fame was increasing with every day, now we would be known for more than just our feats of combat and killing. We were Knights, members of a surprisingly small number of individuals throughout the Empire and in a lot of way were could now be considered members of the nobility.
There had been the usual feasting and celebrations in the hours after the ceremony. The Count, Countess and all of the assorted bluebloods of Leyawiin County all toasting us and revelling in the event. Viconia and I took the praise and the attention as best we could, both of us feeling out of place and suffocated by the press of the powerful and wealthy. The feast itself lasted until the early hours of that evening, alcohol flowing freely and despite our best efforts when Viconia and I managed to pry ourselves away from the nobility we were somewhat inebriated. For the most part we had been the centres of attention, constantly being called upon to regal tales of our adventures and deeds and it wasn’t long before Viconia and I had gravitated closer together. Not as a result of our companionship and affections for one another, but to attempt to stave off the attentions of several of the unwed bachelors and bachelorettes that were mixed through ranks of the nobility. Receiving Knighthoods had ensured that not only did we have to contend with the reactions of our increased fame and titles, but we were now eligible ourselves for marriage into noble houses.
By the time we managed to extricate ourselves from the festivities and return to the Fighters Guild we found ourselves centre of yet another series of celebrations. The guildsmen, like most of the city had heard of the Knighthoods and with not much else to do with the house arrest they had thrown themselves into drinking and feasting themselves until several were sprawled out over tables and the floors before midnight even arrived. As for Viconia and I we retired to our room as soon as the opportunity presented itself, crawling into the bed and falling asleep in each other’s arms within minutes.
The house arrest of the Guild and the Blackwood Company ended the next day by the Count’s decree. Our elevation to Knights meant that we were no longer just members of the guild and it wouldn’t have been just if the Count left the rest of the Guild locked up for our actions. It would be the last day within the guild however, as a handful of Men-at-Arms from the Order of the White Stallion arrived shortly before mid-day to escort us to the Stallion Lodge. We were yet to be fully inducted into the Order, and so we bid our farewells to the Guild, packing our equipment and leaving the Chapterhouse. Before we left we received several more congratulatory slaps across our shoulders, a few inebriated embraces from some of the more drunk members of the guild and a firm handshake from Brodas as I handed him a bottle that I had managed to acquire from the castle. His eyes lit up when he saw the vintage and knowing that it was a far superior bottle worth hundreds of septims he seemed somewhat embarrassed at the way I had managed to settle our debt from the archery competition. Not that it stopped him from popping the cork and taking a mouthful from the bottle with the utmost satisfaction.
Leaving the city, and walking to the home of the Order of the White Stallion we were once again struck dumb at the sight of such a place. Built like the spawn of a castle and a cathedral the central structure was enormous, eight stories tall and covering an area several hundred square metres it had been built on reclaimed marshland and firmly planted into the stone bedrock. What had taken years for a horde of masons and builders to fully construct it was everything the Knightly Order would need to live, train and fight against the enemies of the Empire. Its authority was carved into the region by the eight-metre-tall crenulated walls surrounding it and overall the grounds of the lodge covered over forty acres without a centimetre of space being wasted. Training yards, jousting lists, smithies, farriers, corrals and stables filled the interior of the walls, and as we entered the gates I was struck by how clean and professional everything appeared. The Order may have been founded as a hobby by the Count, but those who wore the white stallion heraldry took their roles and oaths seriously. Even in my time in the Legion I would have been hard pressed to think of a group of soldiers who were more dedicated and professional than the Knights of the White Stallion.
Sir Gailer Ramauld made his way down the short steps leading into the lodge and the enormous double doors, opening his arms in greeting. No longer wearing the enormous metal plate armour that he had the day previous he was now dressed in little more than a simple surcoat of the purest white silk, emblazoned with the rearing stallion and crossed swords of the Order and leaving his arms bare. The more traditional clothing and attires for Knightly Orders may have been suitable for far away Highrock, but in the deep south of Cyrodiil heat could kill even more surely than a blade.
"Sir Desin, Madame DeVir." He rumbled, smiling and nodding his head towards us. "Welcome to the Stallion Lodge."
"Thank you Sir." I replied, seeing out of the corner of my eye the way that Viconia nodded to him briefly as well while looking around at the sight before us.
With quick gestures and a handful of words he mentioned a handful of squires to step forward, the teenagers gathering up the handful of our belongings and quickly disappearing into the enormous stone construction before us.
"Consider this to be your home as much as it is for the rest of us." there was a smile on his face as he looked over the two of us while gesturing around us. "It has come a long way since the tiny two-bedroom shack in a rice paddy when I was knighted."
"That it has." Viconia laughed, her eyes alight with awe and a smile on her face.
Sir Ramauld turned and motioned for the trio of individuals following him to step forward, looking between them and ourselves. "May I present my Knight-Captains; Madame Sininia B’ivin, Sir Alexi Vanevius and Sir Bun-Ze Niseus."
Each bowed briefly to us as Sir Ramauld said their names and we respectively returned them. Each were extremely capable fighters and I glanced over the three of them carefully. Madame B’ivin hailed from the depths of Hammerfell, her Yokundian heritage evident in a skin almost as coal black as Viconia’s, and Sir Niseus was a heavily muscled Argonian who looked strong enough to wrestle a horse to the ground. Sir Vanevius however was an Imperial, a grin seemingly permanently engrained into his face and hair a fiery red. At the first glance and unlike the other two he didn’t seem to be as heavily muscled or appearing as though someone used to wearing dozens of kilograms of armour but there was no denying the energy that filled his body or the way he held himself.
"These three are the highest ranking Knights in the Order and each command one of the three Lances. You will be members’ of Alexi’s Lance," the red headed Imperial’s smile grew even larger. "and he will be responsible for inducting you into the order."
"Thank you Sir." Sir Vanevius looked highly amused, almost at the detriment of the other two Knight Commanders. There was no mistaking the way that he handled himself or moved with all the grace of a dancer as he stepped forward.
As Sir Ramauld turned and made his apologises for not being able to stay for long, Sir Vanevius looked over us both with an appraising eye and clapped his hands together. "Excellent. I was hoping to get you two under my command."
"Not just for the wager money then?" Sir Niseus hissed with amusement.
Sir Vanevius gave a short bark of laughter. "Don’t worry Bun-Ze, I won’t forget the septims you owe me. But here’s hoping that these two won’t need too much training."
"Training Sir?" Viconia asked simply.
"Yes. Training." The smile was as disarming as a sword and I couldn’t help but wonder how many broken hearts had been left throughout the lands by this Knight standing before us. "We can’t be giving away horses and equipment to someone who isn’t going to be able to look after them. And for the first bit of training, you can both just call me Alexi."
"Bun-Ze." Added the Argonian.
"Sininia." Growled the Redguard Knight Captain with a grim smile.
Stopping the question with a raised hand Alexi looked at me. "Outside of these walls you can worry about saying all the Sir’s and Madame’s until your heart bursts as that is expected. But here within the lodge we can relax and be at ease. Especially around each other."
I knew that I was going to like Alexi, but the sliver of recognition of his name suddenly came to me and I felt myself gape openly. "Wait... You’re the Alexi Vanevius..."
"Great. Another one." Muttered Bun-Ze with obvious amusement.
Another smile erupted from Alexi’s face and he nodded. "Unless there’s another running around here then I guess I am." Quickly and in one smooth motion he bowed theatrically before rising to his full height again. "I feel all warm and fuzzy that a Hero of Kvatch knows my name."
"It’s hard not to know of the greatest swordsman in Cyrodiil."
"Oh, I wouldn’t know about that." He said simply. "Alix Lencolia is apparently somewhere between Chorrol and Skingrad."
"Yeah, but didn’t you beat him in a tournament a year or two ago?"
His eyes twinkled. "Maybe... Maybe not..."
I couldn’t help but grin at the swordsman. Belisarius had told me stories of a few individuals scattered throughout the Empire who he believed to be his equal with a sword. Some were scattered about the provinces and Belisarius had managed to fight a handful of them but the one man that he believed to be his better was standing before me. Within a second I had decided that before Viconia and I left we would have to test ourselves against this red headed Knight Captain.
Only a few years older than me at the most, there was not much about him other than the way he carried himself to show the growing legend of his ability. Unlike most who trained or learned to wield a sword, there were few scars up his arms from the hundreds of hours of sparring and practicing. There were also few scars on his face either, from battle or from duelling which only seemed to make the white scar under his eye stand out even more on his tanned flesh. The blood crusted gashes on our faces may have been fresh but unlike Viconia’s and mine his was long since healed.
"Well then." He continued. "We might as well get you both settled in and give you a tour."
The enormous lodge was a structure of incredible engineering. The central belltower rose eight stories into the air, spearing into the sky above the four story height of the lodge itself and commanding thousands of metres of rice paddies and plantations in all directions. Inside was a massive open expanse that ran from the front doors to the rear of the structure where an altar to the Nine had been carved from the purest of marble. The home of the Order was a cathedral, a barracks and a home in equal parts. Stained glass windows depicting the Nine in their mortal forms curled around the rear of the Lodge, each several metres tall and gazing down on the central altar in kaleidoscope of colours. The smells of incense and polishing oils filled the entire lodge and was strangely calming despite the martial nature of the scent.
To the right of the doors lay the dining hall, a great expanse of tables and chairs and rows of cooking spits for feeding the entire order. There was space for several hundred to eat at the same time, which included every Knight, Man-at-Arms and Squire and would have provided no end to the work for the dozens of serfs and servants that we saw scurrying about everywhere we looked.
"You will be provided rooms on the second level within the Knights accommodation." Alexi said as he guided us through the lodge. "I’m guessing though that you won’t be needing separate rooms?"
The smile never seemed to remove itself from his face and he must’ve seen my slight embarrassment. "You don’t have to worry about too much with the Order." He continued without pause. "We might not be as large or established as the Order of Stendarr or the Order of the Flame but we’re also not as tradition bound as they are. We don’t have to swear any vows of celibacy or shun alcohol and other than ensuring that you do the right thing and protect people we are pretty relaxed all things considered."
"I’m guessing it would be difficult to try to enforce any such vows." I said simply.
Alexi nodded. "Exactly. The other Knightly Orders usually only recruit new members who are the sons and daughters of current Knights or select squires from those of extremely young ages and raise them into their ranks. Here, we recruit from all over and from all professions. We have adventurers, sellswords, city guards, ex-legionaries, and a representation of nearly every walk of life. By Talos, Sininia used to be a privateer in the navy. Getting everyone to learn how to ride and fight together in formation and used to wearing heavy plate is one thing. But if you try telling a group of people like this that they can no longer have sex or drink? The Order would be nothing more than a shack and maybe have two members to its name."
"What will our responsibilities be then?" Viconia asked carefully as we made our way through the dining hall at the heels of Alexi.
"Overall not much. When you stay at the lodge you report to me or to one of the other Knight-Captains if I’m not available. Otherwise I assume that Gailer has already told you that you are not beholden to remain here?"
I replied with a nod, watching his expression as he pushed through one of the side doors that lead out into the rear courtyards and training areas.
"But you’ll stay for a few days at least?" he asked, seeing us both nod without any change to his customary smile. "Excellent. In that case we will be able to get you prepared, give you a few things and make you both look the part at least."
As we stepped into the rear of the lodge grounds we both watched as dozens of Knights and Men-at-Arms went about their daily routines. Most seemed to consist of training either as individuals or as groups, sparring and practicing and appearing no different to legionaries in their professionalism. Some of the Knights cared for or rode their enormous steeds, taking them for brief rides through the handful of corrals or stood in the stables arrayed down the northern walls. Hundreds of individual stables opened into the courtyard, some sitting vacant but for the most part each had a horse within them. Farriers and other specialists moved among the stables, checking and caring and assisting the Knights in caring for their steeds.
Nearby the sounds of hammering metal echoed from the collection of forges and smithies where a dozen or more metalworkers plied their trade by reforging horseshoes and repairing or building new blades and armour. Everywhere there was a bustling activity but it was somehow obvious that the recent victory over the daedra had buoyed the mood. Everyone walked with a spring in their step that was no longer wholly from their station in life and their abilities as warriors. They had proven to everyone that the Order was not to be taken for granted and I knew that there would be some form of banner or trophy that would find itself hanging from the interior of Castle Leyawiin.
Nearby at the jousting lists we could see several knights practicing, fully dressed in their armour and mounted astride their enormous chargers. With lances over four metres in length they charged across the training fields, some training by the simple method of plucking loops from where they dangled from arms of wood or ripping looped tent pegs from the ground. Each loop was only a few centimetres in diameter and purposely designed to only be a margin larger than the lance tips themselves. The thunder of the hooves of the enormous animals shook the earth as they galloped past. Shuddering like an earthquake they slammed into the ground with each strike, rumbling into the sky as over a tonne of flesh and metal moved with all the force and fury of a storm.
A pair of knights at the nearby list slammed together with the sound of the ending of the world, wooden tournament lances shattering in an explosion of wood splinters that pattered off the cobblestones. Both knights, writhing in their saddles and armour obviously battered from several tilts already did not fall, almost out of nothing more than pure determination. The sheer impact of the two coming together was enough to strike us all in the guts and Alexi looked at the way Viconia and I paled.
"Fancy saddling up and giving it a go?" he said, and I found myself staring at the sight of how the two knights reined in their steeds, wheeling them around while snapping open their visors.
"God’s breath no." I answered honestly. "I’m an infantryman."
"Ha! You’re a knight now Sir Desin. Better start getting used to it."
Grasping their fresh lances, we watched again as they thundered together, this time one of them being knocked from his saddle in another explosion of wood and the sound as though someone threw an armful of pots down stairs.
"Just how many are in the Order?" Viconia asked as we moved through the training fields with Alexi guiding us and pointing out the main sections of the lodge grounds.
"Only Sir Ramauld would truly know. But there are at least three hundred knights, and about half as many again dismounted Men-at-Arms." Shrugging, he waved a greeting to one of the many individuals roaming through the training yards. "With you two I now have ninety-three Knights under my command in my Lance. Most of which are here in Leyawiin but a dozen or so are scattered throughout Tamriel."
"I can see why you were so effective against the daedra." Motioning towards the tilts I saw him follow my gesture and nod.
"It was one of the most glorious things I have ever taken part in." There was honesty in his words and for a moment he stopped and remembered the sensation of the charge. "When the gate opened all of us armoured as quickly as we could and rode out towards the city. By the time we had formed up there were easily hundreds of the creatures trying to breach the city gates. Sir Ramauld formed us up into three ranks and we simply charged them."
"Just like that?"
"Just like that." he chuckled darkly. "Never thought I would see a daedra before, let alone one looking surprised before it died. A large number of them even went to flee as we lowered our lances and started the charge."
Moving over to the side of the opened stables he motioned for us to follow him, seeing the building amusement in his eyes as we began walking over the straw and smelling the enormous beasts inside. "Well, that concludes the tour. Now it’s onto business."
"Business?" Viconia inquired, looked about at the sight of so many warhorses in their individual stalls.
"Oh yes." The grin on his face grew massive and I couldn’t help but think of the way I smiled when I was fully consumed by the vampire. "For what use is a Knight without a horse?"
His name was Trygve; an ancient Nordic name meaning trustworthy and other than the Minotaur Titan Viconia and I had slain he was the largest animal I had even encountered. Eighteen hands high at the shoulder, and over three quarters of a tonne of muscle he was strong and in the prime of his life. Bred from the best Breton chargers, and Clydesdales from the frozen north of Skyrim he had been trained from birth for war. Powerful, quick and capable of breaking into a sprint that few others could match he was also nimble despite his overwhelming size and able to turn quickly and manoeuvre in the press of battle. A creamy white coat and a mane as white as Viconia’s hair flowed from his shoulders and not a single strand seemed to be out of place. At seven years old he was fully matured and had already served another knight faithfully but the recent fight against the daedra had left both him and his brother Ultrin bereft of their riders. As the only two Knights who had fallen in the charge against the Oblivion portal it seemed somewhat fitting to the other members of the Order that their steeds were passed onto the newest members in their ranks. Especially a pair of individuals who had also experienced entering Oblivion on two occasions.
Both Trygve and Ultrin were monsters of horses. Seeing the rippling muscles under their silken hides and the way they seemed to sit like coiled springs I could easily believe that they both had helped grind daedra into a bloody pulp beneath their hooves. The more I looked over them the more that I believed that they could have outmatched a minotaur in strength, and would have very easily kicked them to death with their massive legs.
Bred for size and power, the mingling of the bloodlines from Skyrim also ensured that they could survive in the harshest conditions. Despite their bulk they did not require specialised diets or to remain where the ground provided massive amounts of grass. They could travel for weeks at a time on minimal grazing land for animals their size, live off nearly any plant in the bounds of Tamriel and still have sufficient strength to break enemy formations with a single powerful charge at the end.
As promised the Order provided us with much. Ultrin and Trygve were both ours, as was a significant amount of equipment such as specifically tailored saddles that were required to ride such animals. Both horses were worth more than Rosethorn hall several times over, and their equipment alone would have left our pouches significantly lighter. The Order seemed to have more money than what it knew what to do with, as not only receiving funding directly from the county coffers and from the Count himself but they also made a huge amount of money breeding horses. their thoroughbreds and unique breeds could be found as far away as Wayrest and Highrock as well as the breeding rights for many of their studs. Our horses had both successfully passed on their genetic heritage in several young foals, some of which already had been purchased by some of the richest of nobles in the Empire.
The first two days were spent not only getting us and our new steeds used to us and learning how to ride them, but also how to care for them properly. Rather than giving away such prized animals; we needed to know how to look after them. Much to my chagrin I could only watch as two days later Viconia was riding about on the dark brown form of Ultrin as though she had been born into his saddle. The two of them seemed to bond exceptionally quickly, whereas Trygve seemed to detect my trepidation and unease of riding in the saddle and would either purposely be stubborn or cause mischief. It would be weeks before I could properly ride him but within the first few days I knew that it would be something that both of us would have to get used to.
After the first two days I could no longer hold onto some of the unease that I was feeling and while Viconia busied herself in the stables learning how to care for the saddle and other equipment I sought out Sir Ramauld. As the Knight-Commander he was a very busy individual, not only responsible for every man and woman under his command but also monitoring the Order’s finances, supplies, equipment and hundreds of other minor tasks and details that was required for running such an organisation. Within his tiny office in the upper levels of the Lodge he seemed restrained behind the desk, as though his muscled body yearned for combat on an hourly basis. He was still a common sight in the training yards but most days if he wasn’t meeting with people of importance he was in his room, accompanied only by a serf or squire or two and enacting a campaign against the ever encroaching paperwork.
Entering the room where he sat behind his desk I felt rather than saw his eyes upon me for a moment before they returned to the stack of parchments in front of him. "Sir Desin. I hear you are settling in well."
"Yes Sir." I replied, moving over and watching how he finished signing his name in short quick strokes as though the quill was nothing more than a broadsword. Delicately he placed the quill down, pouring a small measure of wax onto the parchment before pressing his enormous signet ring into it.
Handing the parchment to the young squire standing by his side it was added to a pile that appeared to have been growing for most of the morning. "I hear that Sir Alexi has been running you through your paces." There was a smile on his broad face that was only just hidden behind the trimmed beard.
"He has Sir." Returning the smile, I remembered how Viconia and I had sparred Alexi and a handful of the other members of the Order that morning. Alexi had beaten us both with an ease that made us appear little more than newborns and even when we both sparred him at the same time he was barely even sweating after putting us both on our backs.
Some of the sheets were placed to one side in a perfectly arranged pile on the side of his desk, and he looked over me and noticed the tension coursing through my body. "You look edgy lad. For someone who has faced vampires and daedra I don’t expect you to feel nervous around me."
Chuckling to himself deep in his chest he relaxed and I glanced between him and the young squire. "Sir, I was wondering if I could talk to you about a few things."
He nodded, recognising the serious tone of my voice. With a curt gesture he sent the squire out and waited for the door to fully close behind the young man before leaning back slightly. "What can I do for you?"
"Viconia and I are Blades." I said simply, seeing the bemused expression change to something significantly darker for a heartbeat.
"Well... That certainty explains your skill at arms. Alexi told me earlier that you two are a pair of the finest swordsmen that he has seen in years."

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.